‘We had a W lying in front of us’

Darien 0, New Canaan 0 in OT

Michael Collins (right) makes one of 29 saves for the shutout-swap with NC at DIR on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Mark Maybell)

BOYS HOCKEY

The spectators who ringed a full-up Darien Ice Rink got what they came for. Action and plenty of it in the Wave’s rare 0-0 OT tie with rival New Canaan on Wednesday.

Darien skaters themselves, though, that’s another story. The boys were in no hurry to join the well-entertained throng, as it filed out of a building, still buzzing.

The Wave’s locker room door stayed shut while the kids ruminated over a draw — as a measure of just how good this early season undefeated run remains — that they still felt hit them like a loss.

“When you throw 38 shots on the goal, and there’s pucks laying on the goal line, everybody should be a little frustrated,” said Wave coach Chris Gerwig. “Because we had a W lying in front of us, but we just couldn’t finish.”

“We’re still 2-0-1 and we get a point out of this, and it might seem like a loss to our guys,” said Gerwig. “They are very disappointed. But (New Canaan) were starving to get their first win, and they played like that tonight.”

The Rams improve to 1-2.

Indeed, this game had everything, but goals.

Wave demo-artist defenseman Dana Wensberg put his clobbering cap on and produced a series of stand-up thumps to either, stall the Rams rush, and most every time they rushed his side of the ice, or flat out flatten the puck carrier — end of story.

Wave goalie Michael Collins (29 saves), in his third start in as many games, earned his shutout down low, stopping a 2-on-1 blast from the right circle in the second period and holding tight against a scramble that threatened to dissolve his crease in the third.

Most entertaining to the paying customers, and aggravating to the Wave, was the play of Rams senior captain netminder Chris Koenecke (38 saves).

The one time he was beat, three minutes into the 8:00 OT period, Owen Koorbusch clanked the right post, in anyone’s best chance to score all game.

“I’ve never been a part of that in my 16 years of coaching high school hockey,” Gerwig added of the extended no-score knot. “Overall, very proud of my team defense — the way we are giving up two goals in three games against high powered offenses.”

This is still Darien’s best start of this or last decade.

“You can throw the records out the window when you play a game like this,” said Gerwig. “We could be 0-10, they could be 10-0, it doesn’t matter.

“The rivalry — everybody knows each other — it’s just such a great game. Hopefully we can just build from this.”